


Going Offline

by IrelandinIrish



Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Brother-Sister Relationships, Catfish - Freeform, F/M, Family Drama, Family Feels, Internet, M/M, Protective Siblings, Stalker
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-14
Updated: 2018-08-23
Packaged: 2019-02-02 10:15:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,579
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12724662
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IrelandinIrish/pseuds/IrelandinIrish
Summary: Gabby signs Liv up to a dating site, and she didn't expect to attract any attention...





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this a while back and decided to post it, no idea why, I've missed posting regularly since starting uni i guess. Hope you guys like it!

The pub was near enough empty, the quiet lull before the evening rush which mean that Chas had time to sneak out the back for a coffee and a quick touch-up of her make-up before the masses descended.

Liv took advantage of the quiet and slid into her usual booth, dumping her laptop on the tabletop with a thud as she tore open a packet of crisps, popping one in her mouth while haphazardly stabbing the keyboard to enter her password.

As the screen faded and began to load her desktop, the teen dropped her snack on the table and leant back against the chair, wriggling to get comfortable as she pulled out her plaits and snapped the hair ties round her wrist. She was still in her uniform, and the effort of getting changed seemed like too much of a laborious task after a day of school.

Instead, she sat herself forward, fingers gliding over the mousepad as she loaded the internet before turning to the planner beside her. None of what she’d written made any sense, and there was a melted chocolate stain rendering her English homework unreadable. Letting out a groan, she unlocked her phone and sent an SOS to Gabby, who responded instantly with a promise to be round soon.

Smiling in satisfaction, Liv rested back against the chair to wait, feeding crisp after crisp into her mouth to fill the dull void of boredom.

* * *

It was over an hour later, and the pub was beginning to fill up. A look from Chas sent Liv and Gabby to the backroom where they’d be out of the way, and they settled at the kitchen table giggling, both nursing cans of coke.

As Liv clicked open her school email to send off the work she’d finally completed, she narrowed her eyes at the laptop, jabbing her finger at the screen.

“That’s not schoolwork” she observed, her nose wrinkling at the invite from a dating site that lingered in her inbox.

Gabby snorted, taking a sip of her drink “On the lookout are we?” she teased with a raised eyebrow.

Liv bristled at her sheer mockery “It’s from when I helped Lisa actually” she grumbled, remembering “I used my school email because up until now I’ve never used the stupid email account.”

“Because up until now you’ve never done your homework” Gabby hummed, reaching out to pinch her friend’s cheek “Go on then, let’s have a look” she pushed.

Liv stared at her with raised eyebrows “What for?”  
“Blokes, obviously”  
“But they’ll all be old, this is Lisa’s account” Liv pointed out with a grimace.

Gabby shook her head and put down her can, dragging the laptop across the table towards her as her fingers busied themselves on the keyboard.

“All we have to do is make a new account silly, and change the preferences.”

Liv rolled her eyes and sat back with her arms folded “And what are our preferences?” she drawled.

Her friend snorted “You tell me, this is your profile” she declared, spinning the computer round for Liv to see. Sure enough the girl had set up a whole new profile for the teen, complete with picture, interests and preferences.

“Why do I need this?” she questioned in a bored tone   
“So we can find you a boyfriend” Gabby stated like it was obvious.

Liv leant forward and narrowed her eyes “It says I’m 18?”  
“Well I had to bend the truth...nobody wants a schoolgirl, not unless they’re a creepy paedophile…” she trailed off, her mouth still open as Liv glared at the ground “Sorry” Gabby mumbled.

Before the girl could respond, the door swung open and Robert and Aaron walked in, nodding in greeting at the two girls.

Liv quickly slammed the lid of her laptop shut, drumming her fingers on top as she stared at the two men.

“You alright?” Aaron asked her, tearing himself away from Robert to take off his coat  
“Yeah”  
“How was school?”  
“Fine”

Gabby nudged her and got to her feet “I better get going” she announced, subtly shaking her head at Liv who looked away.

“Stay for tea if you like?” Robert offered, hanging his jacket on the hook as he dumped his briefcase on the table.

“Thanks but I promised to get Arthur’s dinner ready while Laurel takes Dotty to the doctor’s” the teen explained confidently, wrapping her scarf round her neck. She nodded to Liv who smiled in response, watching her friend disappear out the back door.

Aaron wandered to the kitchen and flicked the kettle on, turning to his sister as he leant against the worktop “Why do I feel like you two are up to something?” he groaned.

Liv pulled a face, gathering her stuff together as she scraped back her chair “We’re not” she told him shortly “It’s just homework, thought you’d be pleased.”

With that she breezed past them and headed upstairs with her usual heavy footsteps.

* * *

The next morning the two girls met at the cafe, Liv arrived to find Gabby blowing into a latte, and rolling her eyes she ordered a simple hot chocolate before taking her seat.

“Heard anything yet?” Gabby demanded excitedly, reaching out to squeeze Liv’s wrist  
“You what?” the girl frowned with a laugh.  
“The dating site you idiot, you have been checking on it right?”

Liv sat back in her chair and stared at her friend “I thought you were joking, I’m not hooking up with some loser on the internet.”

Gabby smirked “Who said anything about hooking up? It’s just...window shopping”  
“Yesterday you said it was to find me a boyfriend”  
“Well baby steps Liv, baby steps” Gabby dismissed “So?”

Liv shrugged “I haven’t checked it” she muttered, smiling gratefully at Bob as he placed her drink down on the table.

Gabby made an impatient sound and picked her phone up, typing hurriedly before letting out a cry of triumph.  
“Three guys said they’re interested!”

“No way” Liv snorted, mildly impressed though her cheeks tinged red “They’ll be taking the piss”  
“I wouldn’t mind” Gabby hummed, flicking through the list “Look at him”

She turned the phone round to reveal a dark haired boy with piercing blue eyes that were so intense they made the breath catch in Liv’s throat.

“He’s 18, likes cars, going to the gym and art…” Gabby reeled off “Sounds perfect for you” she looked up at Liv expectantly and the girl’s eyes widened.

“You can’t be serious! I’m not interested” she insisted firmly, picking up her drink as she scraped back her chair.

Gabby looked up at her, her smile faltering “Where are you going?”  
“Home, to the sane people...besides I’ve been roped into serving tables this lunchtime”

Liv said goodbye to Gabby and headed out into the street, yet she couldn’t shake the boy and his blue eyes from her head.

* * *

“I’ve never seen you so keen to do work before”

Liv looked up from her laptop and frowned at Robert who was watching her with a grin from his spot beside Aaron on the sofa.

“Are you complaining?” she challenged, raising an eyebrow.

She was about to shut the lid when a message popped up from the dating site tab. She didn’t know why she’d logged back onto it, curiosity she supposed. And that’s what prompted her to open the message as it appeared.

Her mouth went dry as the icon of the blue-eyed boy flashed on the screen, with shaking hands she clicked it and it enlarged. With a glance back to the two men on the sofa she read the message hurriedly, trying to calm the butterflies in her stomach.

_ Hiya, I’m Tom...I noticed ur profile and thought u looked cool, wanna tell me about yourself? _

The message was simple enough, and nowhere near as creepy as she’d feared. Hesitantly Liv began to type a response, pausing as she battled with her conscience. She quickly minimised the tab and shut the lid, breathing heavily.

“You alright?” Aaron questioned, looking over at her in concern  
“Yeah just...bored of doing work” she bluffed, offering him a forced smile.  
“Well take a break then you doink, you’ve been glued to that thing ever since Marlon and Vic freed you from the lunch rush.”

Liv nodded and got to her feet, tucking the computer under her arm “I think I’ll just go to my room” she muttered.

She walked past the sofa, and started when Aaron grabbed her wrist  
“Are you sure you’re okay?” he checked “You’re acting weird”

“Just tired” Liv lied “Been busy haven’t I?”

Gently she pulled out of her brother’s grip and disappeared upstairs.

* * *

Once the girl was settled, cross-legged on her bed with the laptop reopened in front of her, she took a deep breath and began her reply.

_ Hi, and err thanks I guess? I’m Liv, I like drawing and smashing up cars xD _

She cringed as she pressed send, but she didn’t know what else to say. Before she could tab out a reply popped up.

_ Hey Liv, cute name! Smashing cars? Remind me never to let you near mine xD _

Liv let out the breath she’d been holding and smiled at the screen, this guy was surprisingly easy to talk to, and so she replied again, and again, and again.

She was so wrapped up in the conversation she didn’t notice Robert leaning against her doorframe looking amused.

“What do you want?” she demanded  
“We’ve been calling you for dinner for ages” he told her “What’s so important on there?” he nodded to the laptop and took a step forward, so Liv instantly slammed the lid and ushered him back downstairs.

* * *

The teen kept quiet at dinner, too busy shovelling food into her mouth to join the conversation.

“Slow down kid, you’ll choke yourself” Robert laughed, though his eyebrows were knitted in concern.

“M’hungry” Liv spluttered, mid-chew, causing her brother to wrinkle his nose in disgust.

“What is with you?” he questioned, putting down his cutlery and fixing her with a firm stare “You’ve been acting really weird lately and it’s starting to creep me out”

“Charming” his sister snorted, pushing her empty plate away “Can I go back to my room now?”  
“No. Not until you ‘fess up and tell me what’s going on”

Liv got to her feet and swiped the back of her hand across her mouth “Aaron, it’s all in your head. Okay?” she raised her eyebrows at him before turning to Robert who nodded, allowing her to escape back upstairs.

When she’d gone Aaron glanced at his husband “Thanks for your support” he drawled  
“Oh come on you really think she’d admit to anything on the spot?”

Robert stood up and gathered the plates, carrying them to the sink while Aaron stayed at the table, a frown plastered on his face.

“So you think she’s up to something too?” he asked, turning to look at the blonde  
“It’s Liv, Aaron” he pointed out “She’s always up to something”

* * *

Monday morning rolled around and Liv had left early to avoid more questioning from her brother. She’d spent the weekend chatting easily to Tom, and they’d even exchanged phone numbers so they could text during the day.

As Liv approached Gabby at the bus-stop, she almost collided with the girl, too busy with her head down and fingers tapping away at her mobile.

“Earth to Liv” Gabby teased, nudging the girl to get her attention  
“Oh, hi” the teen mumbled with a smile, returning to her conversation.

Gabby frowned and craned her neck to get a look at the screen, but Liv hurriedly locked her phone and looked up “What’re you doing?”

“Who’re you talking to?”

The two girls stared at each other for a minute, Gabby’s eager eyes met Liv’s and the teen relented and motioned for them to sit on the bench.

“It’s Tom...the guy from the dating site” she admitted quietly, scuffing the toes of her boots in the dirt.

“OMG Liv!” Gabby squealed, gripping her friend’s knee in excitement “Tell me everything!”

And Liv did. She told the girl about the jokes and the secrets and the plans for the future, the pictures and words of comfort and the fact that Tom had started sending ‘xxx’ at the end of each message.

Gabby let out a happy sigh, dragging Liv to her feet as the bus rolled up. “It’s like a fairytale” she sighed “Your first boyfriend.”

Liv blushed, shoving her phone into her pocket as they climbed aboard “I wouldn’t go that far” she said hastily “We’ve only been talking for a couple of days.”

“But you like him?” Gabby pushed, dropping into a seat at the back of the bus.

Liv’s silence was all the confirmation she needed.

* * *

_ It would be great to meet you finally haha, I feel like i’ve known you for years...do you fancy it? Xxx _

Liv stared at the message flashing on her screen, a beaming smile on her face as she quickly fired off a text to Gabby.

She’d already begun to reply with a definite yes, when her mobile began to buzz frantically. Frowning, the teen abandoned her laptop and picked it up, confused by the sheer number of texts from her friend in such a short space of time.

_ Are you joking? _

_ Liv no! _

_ You can’t _

_ You don’t even know him! _

_ It was only meant to be a bit of fun, you can’t be serious _

_ Ugh I didn’t realise you’d fallen for him this bad. _

Liv bit down on her lip hard and stabbed back an angry response.

**_It was ur idea for me to ‘window shop’ you signed me up for the site and ur the one that nearly had a cardiac arrest when I told you he’d messaged me in the first place!!!_ **

_ Liv I’m telling you this is a bad idea.  
_ _ C’mon don’t make me have to tell Aaron. _

Liv’s stomach lurched. She was furious at the threat of betrayal from her supposed best mate, no way could Aaron find out about Tom. He and Robert would put an end to it instantly.

Sitting back against her pillows with a sigh, the teen slowly smirked as a plan formed in her mind. Raising her phone once more, she fired off one last text to Gabby before returning to her laptop.

**_Fine. I guess ur right. I’ll tell him I’m not interested. See ya tomorrow._ **

The girl smiled to herself as her phone buzzed with Gabby’s message of comfort and thanks, and she quickly tossed it aside, pressing send on her message to Tom.

_ I think it’s about time we met yeah haha, name a time and a place and I’ll meet u there, can’t wait :) xxx _

* * *

The weekend was fast approaching, and Liv was beginning to feel sick with nerves as she snuck back in through the back door of the pub and darted upstairs.

With some last minute excuse to Gabby about forgetting some homework, she’d escaped the bus-stop to run back home to get changed before catching the later bus into town to meet Tom.

The teen could hear Chas and Charity arguing out in the bar, though she let out a sigh of relief as she noticed there was no sign of Aaron or Robert.

Liv dumped her schoolbag and tore off her tie, exchanging her dingy uniform for a pair of jeans and a top that Gabby had leant her months ago for a party they never ended up going to. It was off the shoulder, and fitted nicely round the teen, emphasising every curve she had.

Liv studied herself in the mirror on her wardrobe door, gnawing at her lip anxiously as she pulled on a jacket, grabbed her phone and purse and crept back out of the house once more.

* * *

The bus pulled into Hotten high street right on time for once, and Liv clambered off with trembling hands. She made her way to the park where Tom had told her to meet him, settling on a bench to wait.

Minute upon minute ticked by and the girl kept checking her phone to see what the time was. She knew by now that Gabby would have realised she wasn’t coming to school, and she hoped her friend would have the sense to cover for her should her absence be brought up.

Deep in thought, the teen didn’t notice someone sit down beside her, only breaking from her trance when she felt a gentle touch to her shoulder. She jumped and turned quickly, expecting to see the blue-eyed boy from the dating site. Instead she was met with a guy who must have been in his late 20s, he had dark eyes and tattoos covering his arms. He smirked at Liv and she almost vomited, shuffling along the bench uncomfortably.

“Don’t shy away now princess” the man rasped “You wanted this remember?”  
“You’re not Tom” she whispered, gutted at her mistake  
“Well...technically that is my name” he shrugged, scooting close to her.

Liv pulled out her phone, catching sight of 6 missed calls from Gabby before the guy grabbed it from her and pocketed it.

“Err that’s mine” the girl snapped  
“Not anymore princess, you don’t need anybody on that phone anymore.”

Liv tensed as the guy stroked her cheek, his breath in her ear smelt like stale beer and cigarette smoke and it made her cringe.

* * *

Robert and Aaron were busy making dinner when the door slammed open.

The blonde rolled his eyes and turned in irritation “Liv how many times, the doors have done nothing to you so leave them alone” he joked.

But it wasn’t Liv who entered, it was Gabby. Breathing heavily as she hoisted her bag further up her shoulder and looked wildly between the two men who stared at her in confusion.

“You mean she isn’t here?” the girl exclaimed, shoulders slumping.

Aaron wiped his hands on a towel and stepped towards the teen.  
“No? She usually comes back from school with you doesn’t she?”

Gabby let out a groan and buried her face in her hands “The stupid idiot!”

Robert and Aaron exchanged a look as the girl continued to rant.

“I told her not to, I said it wasn’t safe. She promised she wasn’t gonna do it!”

At the mention of safety, Aaron closed the distance between himself and Gabby, and took hold of her shoulders firmly, looking into her eyes “What’s going on?” he demanded.

“From the top” Robert chipped in, arms folded and eyes narrowed.

Gabby let out a sigh “She’s been talking to this guy online...and they were gonna meet but I told her it was stupid and she said she wasn’t gonna go but then she didn’t turn up to school and I think she’s gone to see him…” she trailed off struggling for breath, her hands shaking.

Aaron turned to his husband, horrified “I knew something was wrong”  
“Okay” the blonde soothed “Well calm down, we’ll find her”

Gabby wrestled Robert’s laptop from it’s case resting on the table and hurriedly found the dating site. She stamped in Liv’s account details and moaned as it flashed red.

“She’s changed it all, I can’t log on anymore!”

Aaron cursed and ran a hand through his hair “What about her laptop?”  
“I know the password” Gabby admitted “Where is it?”

“In her room” Robert spoke darkly, ushering the two upstairs.

Gabby wrenched open Liv’s laptop and typed the password, letting out a cheer as the dating profile filled the screen.

“Go to messages” Aaron instructed, gnawing his knuckles.

Gabby hesitated, not wanting to invade Liv’s privacy...she’d never opened up to someone as much as ‘Tom’ and the girl knew it would embarrass her friend if her brother read the messages.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Robert gently touching her shoulder “C’mon Gabby, we need to find her” he said softly, and the teen nodded, quickly clicking the envelope icon.

Hundred and hundreds of messages filled the screen, and Aaron’s jaw dropped at the sheer number of them.

“How did we not notice this?” he breathed, stepping back as Robert settled on the mattress, dragging the laptop onto his knees.

“They’re not far” the blonde said grimly “Hotten, at the park”

Aaron was already up and out the door, and Robert pushed away the laptop to quickly follow him “Get home Gabby” he told the girl “I’ll make sure she rings you when we get her back”

Gabby opened her mouth to argue, but the man was already gone, leaving her alone in the room.

* * *

“So what are we gonna do just sit on a park bench all day?” Liv huffed, trying to hide her fear as she watched Tom roll a cigarette.

“Don’t be daft” he chuckled “I’ll finish this and we’ll go back to mine.”

The sheer ease of his words and his tone made Liv feel increasingly uncomfortable, and she looked around to weigh up an escape route.

Suddenly, she felt fingers close round her wrist in a hard grip, and she looked up at Tom.

“Don’t even think about it” he warned darkly, slowly releasing her and resting his hand on her thigh.

“Get off me!” Liv hissed through gritted teeth, scooting further along the bench away from him.

The man let out an aggravated sigh and got to his feet, pulling her with him by the elbow.

“Honestly, I thought a big girl like you would be able to behave herself” he chided, steering the way through the least crowded route out of the park.

“I want to go home now” Liv told him as firmly as possible, yanking herself from his grip.

Tom laughed coldly “You wanted me, your home is with me now babe, you’re never going back.”

The smirk on his face disappeared as he was thrown to the ground, and Liv let out a scream as she stumbled back.

“Get your fucking hands off her” Aaron yelled, pulling back his fist and landing a punch in Tom’s stomach.

Whilst the man was down, Aaron wiped his face with his sleeve breathing heavily as he backed away and turned to his sister.

The youngster was shaking, arms wrapped round herself as silent tears fell down her cheeks. She looked up at her brother and opened her mouth to speak, but words failed her and instead she tumbled into his arms and he held her tightly, rocking her back and forth.

Moments later Robert came running over with several police officers, panting hard.

“Aaron I said wait!” he said in exasperation, shooting a glance at Tom who was still on the ground, then back over to the siblings in front of him. “Nevermind” the blonde murmured, stepping forward and placing a hand on the back of Liv’s head “You alright kiddo?”

She nodded dumbly, shying away as the police hauled a severely winded Tom from the concrete.

Aaron held her tightly to his side, his hand clutching Robert’s as they watched the bloke get escorted away.

“We’ll be over to take a statement from your sister once she’s calmed down” one officer spoke gently “We’ve got the address.”

Aaron and Robert nodded, placing Liv between them to shield her from Tom as he frantically looked round.

“Let’s go home” the blonde sighed, squeezing Liv’s shoulder.

* * *

The car journey back to the village was quiet, except for Aaron repeatedly asking his sister if she was alright, the response to which was a whispered ‘yes’.

Once they got inside the back room of the pub Liv tried to escape to her room, but her brother was forced to sit her on the sofa and check her over.

“Did he….” the man trailed off uncomfortably, and from his spot sat beside the girl, Robert wrapped an arm round her shoulders.

“No. He was going to...said we were going to his place, when I looked for a way out he grabbed my wrist.” Liv swallowed and shrank back against the cushions.

Robert brushed loose strands of hair behind her ear “Well you’re home now, that’s all that matters” he told her warmly.

“We do need to talk though sis” Aaron sighed “I mean, chatting to a randomer online and agreeing to meet up? What were you thinking?”

Liv shrugged “I thought he liked me...I thought it was real. And Gabby told me to-”

Both men groaned, of course it had to be Gabby’s influence.

“She’s the one that told us” Robert said “Came flying in here saying you’d bunked off school to meet up with some bloke despite her telling you not to...Is that true?”

“She told me not to, said if I did she’d tell Aaron. But I thought she was lying, just saying it because she was jealous that someone liked me for once!”

“Right well it’s done with now, okay?” Robert told her firmly as the door opened to reveal Chas stood with two police officers.

“I presume you will catch me up later?” The woman asked lightly, raising her eyebrows at her son who nodded distractedly, his fingers toying with his jaw.

Once she was gone, the officers settled either side of Liv on the sofa, as Aaron and Robert retreated to the kitchen table.

* * *

“Mr Blyden told us you’ve been talking for a while, is that right?” the interview was underway and Liv kept glancing awkwardly up at her brother who was listening intently.

“Yeah...for a bit” she croaked, tightening her grip on the cushion across her lap “But I thought he was my age…”

“What? 18?”

Liv looked up at the officer as his tone changed somewhat, and she let out a groan “That wasn’t my idea. My mate, she signed me up as a joke and put a fake age, I never changed it, I never thought anyone would actually contact me.”

The teen looked over at her brother, whose forehead was pinched into a frown. He watched her sadly as the interview continued.

“Miss Flaherty surely you’ve heard of internet safety at school?”

“Now hang on” Robert interrupted, annoyed “This bloke said he was a teenager to lure a young girl to a park, yet you’re on her case for her mate inventing a fake profile on a cheap looking dating site?!”

“Robert” Aaron sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“What? Aaron why the hell aren’t you defending your sister?”

“Because she’s in the wrong!”

Tears pooled in Liv’s eyes as she stared up at her brother “What?” she asked shakily.

“Well you are sis” he said apologetically “Look I get that this bloke is scum but, you lied and you went to meet him without telling anyone. You deliberately put yourself in danger.”

An awkward silence filled the room, during which the teen buried her face in her hands and Robert got to his feet.

“Could we continue this in a moment?” he requested stiffly “I think we need a minute to cool off. If you go through to the bar Chas will get you a drink on the house.”

Reluctantly the police disappeared through to the pub, and the blonde filled one of the now empty spaces beside Liv, pulling her into a hug.

“This is just their job kiddo, yeah? They know you’re the victim here.”

“Try telling him that” Liv snapped, glaring at her brother through the tears pouring down her face.

Aaron sighed and moved to crouch in front of her “I never said I wasn’t on your side sis, I just, thought you were smarter than this.”

The girl laughed harshly “Cheers”

Her brother reached a hand out and gently stroked her knee "I'm not mad at you" he told her softly "I'm scared Liv."

Robert glanced down at his husband, listening to him speak as he pulled the teen closer into his side.

"What if we didn't know where you were? Didn't know how to find you?"

Liv bowed her head and shrugged, guilt flooding her as she heard the way her brother's voice cracked somewhat as he spoke.

"I could have lost you, and that terrifies me more than anything."

Aaron stopped talking and sat back on his heels with a deep breath as he pinched the bridge of his nose with a slightly shaky hand.

"I'm sorry" Liv whispered, fists balling into the cushion on her knees "I'm sorry."

Tears were falling fast down her cheeks and she shuddered against Robert who looked at her in concern.

Aaron shook his head and pushed himself forward once more, pulling his sister into his arms and holding her tightly while she sobbed into his shoulder.

"It's okay" he soothed "I've got you."

The door creaked open and one of the police officers stuck their head round the corner.  
"I don't suppose we're ready to continue?" he questioned, eyeing the scene warily.

Liv wiped her eyes and scrambled back onto the sofa with Aaron and Robert either side as the police re-entered and settled on the coffee table in front of them.

"Now Miss Flaherty before we continue I have to make something clear to you" the officer spoke gently "You're not in any form of trouble for what happened, we'll contact the site administrators and get them to remove your account and I'm sure your brothers here will make sure you never do anything this dangerous again."

Aaron glanced to Robert, who smiled and nodded in agreement.

"Excellent" the officer continued "Now then, let's get this wrapped up so we can send this man down shall we?"

He winked at Liv who smiled through her tears and rested her head on Aaron's shoulder.

Safe.

  
  
  
  
  



	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Initially this was just a oneshot but I've decided to add more :)

The next morning Liv padded downstairs, her footsteps a world away from their usual animalistic thuds. Therefore her sudden presence in the back room startled her brother who was leant against the counter munching on a slice of toast as he scrolled through his phone.

"Where's Rob?" Liv asked, looking around for the blonde.

Aaron's head snapped up at her voice and he chucked his breakfast back onto the plate, wiping his hands on his jeans as he wound round the table to reach the girl.

"Err he had a meeting early, set off a while ago" the man explained briefly "How're you..."

Liv looked up at him "I'm okay" she said hurriedly, stuffing her hands into the pockets of her dressing gown "Is it alright if I stay at home today?"

Aaron sidestepped as she passed him on her way to the kitchen.

"Yeah course, you can catch up yeah?"

His sister nodded, stretching over to fill a glass with water "I'll ask Gabby to take some notes for me."

At the mention of Liv's partner in crime Aaron turned "You've spoken to her then?"

"Not yet" the girl shrugged "I've been a bit busy dealing with paedophiles on the internet."

Her blunt response seemingly signalled the end of the conversation as she slumped down onto the sofa and switched on the TV.

Aaron watched her for a few moments, his brows knitted together in concern before he returned to his breakfast.

* * *

Gabby looked up at the Woolpack and sighed, she knew Liv was home, she was  _safe_ , but the teen couldn't bring herself to go and see her.

She'd watched the police car arrive and leave the day before with a heavy heart - an overwhelming tide of guilt rushing through her as she quickly yanked the curtains closed and sloped off to her room.

Now there was no hiding, she was stood in front of the pub and at some point somebody would wonder why she hadn't moved for the past ten minutes.

Sure enough that person arrived sooner than Gabby was prepared for.

"You alright?"

The girl turned to see Robert locking up his car, briefcase in hand as he stared at her with a raised eyebrow.

Gabby cleared her throat and held a piece of paper aloft "I brought this for Liv, it's due Monday."

Robert fell into place beside her and accepted the paper, scanning it through narrowed eyes.

"Oh good" he sighed "Biology, at least I know what  _I'll_ be doing this evening" his tone was light, jokey even and it made Gabby feel that maybe things inside weren't so bad.

"How is she...Liv?" she asked suddenly.

Robert lowered the paper before handing it back over with a tired yet warm smile.

"Well how about we go and check on her together?" he suggested, striding off and so clearly not taking no for an answer.

* * *

The pub wasn't overly busy, though the evening rush was approaching and so many of the bar stools were taken.

At one end Aaron sat beside Adam, both of whom were chatting to Chas over the bar in hushed tones.

"Hiya" Robert greeted, louder than necessary but wanting any private conversation to cease in the presence of Gabby who looked increasingly uncomfortable with the situation.

Aaron tilted his head as the blonde pressed a kiss to his cheek.

"Alright" he smiled, turning to Gabby "Erm..." he trailed off, unsure as to why his husband had appeared with the teenager.

"She's here to see Liv" Robert explained, placing his briefcase atop the bar.

"Oh right" Aaron nodded, shooting a small smile at the girl "Well she was in her room last time I checked, go ahead."

He nodded towards the back room and grateful for the escape Gabby fled, shutting the door behind her.

Once she'd gone Robert turned to his husband, taking a seat beside him.

"How's she been?"

"Quiet" Aaron sighed, taking a sip of his pint "It's like one minute she wants to forget about it and then the next she'll just come out with some totally blunt comment about the whole thing and I can't think of anything to say."

Chas shook her head, pushing a fresh pint across to Robert who smiled thankfully.

"I don't know love, it's a messy thing to deal with at any time, but when you're that young..." the woman shrugged, turning to serve Priya who had just walked in.

Adam was running a finger round the rim of his glass as he listened, looking over at his best friend.

"I'm surprised you only landed a couple of punches to the guy, I'd have killed him."

"Not very helpful Adam" Robert pointed out with a roll of his eyes.

"Oh come on, some psycho tries to abduct your kid sister and you're telling me you wouldn't want him dead?"

Robert turned to the man with a straight face "Well I let you do it to my sister so would you care to find out?"

Adam slouched back down in his seat and pulled a face.

"Can you not make jokes about it!" Aaron snapped, draining his glass "This is my sister for God sake."

"Sorry" the other two muttered, Robert gently rubbing the man's back to calm him down.

Aaron sighed "I just wish I knew how to help her, she's shutting me out."

He rested his head on the bar with a thud and Adam and Robert exchanged a worried glance.

* * *

Gabby paused outside Liv's room, taking a deep breath before knocking twice.

"Yeah?" came the bored reply.

The brunette let herself in with a weak smile.

"Aaron said I could come up" she explained, shutting the door behind her.

"Right" Liv said sheepishly, pushing herself up in bed and shutting the lid of her laptop "Alright?"

Before she could say anything else Gabby strode over to her friend and thumped her on the arm before pulling her into a fierce hug.

"You're such an idiot!" she grumbled.

"Believe me you're not the first person to tell me that" Liv sighed, settling back against the pillows.

Gabby sat cross legged at the end of the bed and tossed the now crumpled worksheet over.

"Donovan wants this done for Monday" she said with a roll of her eyes and Liv groaned.

"Of course he does, well it'll give Rob something to do tonight."

She chuckled softly and Gabby watched her through narrowed eyes.

"So...what happened?"

Liv looked up, forehead creased into a frown.

"C'mon Gabs really?-"

"Yes really! Liv things could have got really really bad" the brunette stressed "If I didn't know your laptop password then you'd probably still be out there somewhere!"

Liv sat forward "So you were the one who told Aaron and Robert then? Showed them my messages?"

The anger lacing her voice caused Gabby to bristle somewhat.

"Yeah I did, because funnily enough I care about you and you were in trouble!"

"No  _now_ I'm in trouble Gabs. The police and social services will be all over this, and not to mention the fact I can't go anywhere without Aaron chucking a hissy fit!"

Gabby shook her head and got to her feet, storming from the room.

Liv chased after her, both of them thundering down the stairs with a force that almost certainly made the building shake.

"Stop being so pathetic Liv! Oh boo hoo even after pulling a desperate stunt like this people still give a damn about you!" Gabby snapped, spinning round in the doorway

"You're calling  _me_ desperate?" Liv scoffed "That's rich coming from you! Everyone at school says you'd drop your knickers for anybody!"

With that Gabby swung forward and landed a slap on Liv's cheek that caused her to gasp.

Both girls stood in shock for a moment before Liv grabbed hold of Gabby's hair and dragged her to the door, both of them screaming.

The sound had alerted Aaron, who ran through and grabbed hold of his sister whilst Robert tried to untangle the girl's fingers from Gabby's hair.

"Enough!" he yelled, struggling to get between them as Adam ducked in and grabbed Gabby round the middle in a stance mirroring Aaron's hold on Liv.

"What the hell is going on?" Aaron demanded, looking between the girls who were breathing heavily.

Liv shrugged him off "Ask her!" she spat, before shoving past him and charging back upstairs.

Aaron ran a hand through his hair as Adam warily released Gabby.

"She's a psycho, her and that pervert deserve each other" she growled, storming out the back door.

"Oi!" Adam called after her "Bloody hell" he sighed.

Robert made eye contact with Aaron, whose shoulders had sagged.

"At least she won't be a bad influence on Liv anymore" the blonde pointed out lightly as the three men made their way back through to the bar.

* * *

 

Later that night Aaron walked into the back room and sighed.

"She won't leave her room, won't even talk to me."

Chas smiled at him sadly "She's probably embarrassed love, give her time to cool down."

"Mum, she could be doing anything up there. I mean she got away with the whole creep on the internet thing without me knowing!"

Robert handed him a can as they settled down to eat.

"You can't focus on what if's mate, she's probably up there doing some angsty drawing to let off steam."

Aaron glanced at him, his face contorted in confusion before he shook his head to brush off the comment.

"I'm worried about her"

Chas reached across and patted his arm "I know darling but there's only so much you can do for her."

"D'you think she'd see someone?" Robert suggested, twirling spaghetti round his fork.

Aaron turned to him "You mean like a counsellor?"

Robert shrugged "Maybe she just needs to talk it all through with someone away from the situation?"

Aaron looked to his Mother who raised her eyebrows in silent agreement.

"I'll make her an appointment tomorrow" the man mumbled, turning to his dinner.

Outside Liv crouched at the bottom of the stairs, her teeth clamped down on her lower lip as she listened to them speak before turning and hurrying back up to her room as quietly as she'd come.

 

 

 

 


	3. Chapter 3

4:30 am and Liv awoke with a start at the sound of her alarm. Usually on a Saturday she'd sleep in until either Aaron or Robert came upstairs to physically drag her from her room. Today wasn't the case however, today the teen wanted to make her escape before they could shove her off to some counsellor and force her to talk about everything that had happened.

The girl rolled out bed with a groan and got dressed before creeping to the bathroom, hopping over every inch of floor that she knew creaked under pressure.

Within 20 minutes she was out of the pub and heading up the road away from the village. The morning was cold and still but the sun still had begun to peek through as dawn broke. If she weren't in such a hurry to put as much distance between herself and her home as possible, Liv might have stopped to admire the view but instead she kept walking, one foot after the other with her head down.

* * *

It was 6 by the time Robert stirred, for he could never stay in bed for long even on a weekend.

The blonde looked over to Aaron who was curled up beside him sleeping soundly, he pressed a kiss to his husband's forehead and swung his legs round to get to his feet. Grabbing his dressing gown from behind the bedroom door, Robert snuck out to shower and left Aaron to rest.

On the landing the blonde glanced at Liv's bedroom door which was shut and far as he knew, still occupying a sleeping teen. He sighed and shook his head slightly, contemplating knocking and just hugging her, telling her everything would be alright. But of course he didn't, he simply backed into the bathroom and shut the door on his thoughts.

* * *

Liv had been walking for hours before she allowed herself to rest, taking a seat upon the wall that lined the bridge she pulled out her phone and squinted at the screen.

Half past seven.

By now Robert would definitely be up, probably Aaron too and she wondered how long it would take them to realise she was missing. Both of them had tried coaxing her from her room but she'd simply ignored them, even when they'd opened her door the teen rolled away to face the wall, or launched a torrent of abuse that sent them straight back downstairs again.

She knew she should feel guilty and part of her did, afterall it wasn't their fault what had happened, but Liv couldn't deal with her mistake, didn't know how to move on from it and to her, running was the only solution.

* * *

"She didn't have dinner last night and now she isn't down for breakfast" Aaron stressed, rummaging through the cupboard for the cereal.

Chas ducked past him and retrieved it easily, pressing the box into his hands as she spoke.

"Well you know what she's like, she probably crept down in the night and got herself something to tide her over."

Aaron clattered about with the bowls, his frustration evident "Well it wouldn't have been anything proper would it? And what about the fighting? I don't want her turning out like me."

"That wouldn't be a bad thing" Robert defended, taking his bowl from his husband before he could wave it around anymore.

Chas nodded "And what about this counsellor idea? Maybe when she sees someone she'll calm down a bit?"

Aaron slumped into his chair and shrugged "I'm way out of my depth here" he admitted, shoving his spoon amongst the cereal.

"Don't be daft, you're doing fine,  _we're_ doing fine" Robert assured him, raising his coffee mug.

Chas leant over to squeeze her sons shoulder "Why don't you go and get her love and we can talk everything over, you never know she might go for this counselling lark."

Aaron looked between his Mum and husband before relenting and scraping back his chair.

"Prepare for my quick return" he drawled, rubbing his hands together anxiously before taking off upstairs.

* * *

Aaron had to steel himself outside Liv's door, convinced it was still too early in the morning to be on the receiving end of her yelling.

He knocked twice and waited for a response and raised his fist to knock again before realising his sister was probably still asleep and not instead out wandering the Yorkshire moors at 8am.

The door creaked as it swung open and Aaron ducked his head round cautiously.

"Liv?" he called softly "Wakey wakey."

At the sight of the empty bed the man's stomach lurched and he shoved his way into the room, looking round frantically in case the teen was for whatever reason stood off in one corner - but the room was empty.

"Shit" Aaron breathed, whirling round and rushing to the bathroom, the door banging against the side of the bath from the force of which he opened it.

Again the room was empty.

"What the hell is going on up there?" Chas called from the foot of the stairs.

Aaron ran back onto the landing "She's gone" he told her breathlessly "She isn't up here."

Robert appeared beside his Mother-in-law and looked up the stairs in concern "Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm bloody sure Robert she isn't here!"

By now he was down the stairs and shoving past the two as he dug his phone from his pocket.

"Calm down-" Chas began.

"Calm down! Mum my sister's missing!"

Robert grabbed the man by the shoulders to stop him from pacing and giving himself a panic attack.

"Who're you calling?" he asked carefully.

"The police obviously!"

Before he could dial Robert had plucked the phone from his hands.

"They won't do anything if she hasn't been gone for at least 24 hours. Now we  _know_ she was here last night so she must have left at some point this morning."

As he was speaking Aaron had started pacing again, shaky hands dragging through his hair and tugging anxiously.

The worry in the room was interrupted by the arrival of Marlon, who clattered in greeting them cheerfully as he dumped his bag on the table.

"Not a great time Marlon" Chas muttered, waving a hand at him though never taking her eyes off her son.

"What's up?" the man asked in concern, his fingers slowing as they buttoned up his jacket.

Robert looked over at the chef "Liv's gone awol" he explained quietly.

Marlon's eyes widened "It's not that bloke from online again is it?" 

Aaron shot him a glare and snatched his phone back from Robert.

"We're working on it" Chas said helplessly, massaging the bridge of her nose.

Robert grabbed Aaron's face, cupping it with his hands and forcing him to make eye contact.

"We'll find her okay? But we need to be out there looking rather than in here stewing yeah?"

After a quick glance round the room at the selection of worried faces, Aaron shoved his phone back into his pocket and marched out of the door, leaving it swinging behind him.

* * *

By the time it hit 10 o'clock Liv was starving, clutching her stomach as it growled in defiance.

"Oh shut up" the girl yawned, her early start catching up with her.

She kicked out at a pinecone in her path, watching in satisfaction as it bounced along the road before tumbling into a nearby ditch. Liv sighed and pulled out her phone, she'd turned it off to save the battery as well as to avoid her brother so as she held the power button she winced.

Sure enough as it gained signal the mobile buzzed to life with an onslaught of missed calls and messages from everyone from Aaron and Robert to Adam and Victoria.

"Oh brill" the teen mumbled, thumb hovering over the latest message sent 5 minutes ago from her brother's phone.

_I swear to God if you don't tell me where you are I'm gonna lose it. I promise you everything will be okay I just want you to come home sis, I just want you to be safe._

Liv's throat went dry as she read and yet more guilt flooded her. Aaron sounded so stressed and so worried but she couldn't bring herself to call him, she wasn't ready to go back there.

_Hey kid, look I don't know what's going on but your brother's going mad trying to find you, you gotta come home Liv._

This, a text from Adam - short and simple and to the point, much like him the teen thought with an amused smile.

_Oi missy, what're you playing at doing a runner? You're my number one taste tester and I have a bowl of icing sat in this kitchen with your name on it! Please come home Liv, we're all dead worried about you._

The mention of food from Victoria made Liv's stomach rumble again and she stuffed her phone back into her pocket before she could read anymore.

* * *

"I've looked everywhere and there's no sign" Aaron panicked, pacing back and forth in front of the bar.

Robert watched him tiredly, knowing by now that there was no stopping the man from worrying, in fact the blonde was pretty close to joining him.

"The good news is I rang the station and this Tom guy is still behind bars awaiting trial so she's not with him."

Aaron turned on his husband "Did you report her missing?" he demanded breathlessly.

Robert sighed "I told them she'd been gone a while and we were concerned but-"

"-Concerned!" Aaron snapped "My little sister has done a runner, concerned doesn't cut it Rob! Out of my flaming mind with worry only just touches the surface!"

Chas wound round the bar and grabbed her son by the shoulders, shaking him gently.

"That's enough" she said firmly "We'll find her, I promise you that but you need to keep a clear head here."

Aaron's shoulders sagged as he allowed his Mother to take his weight, pulling him in for a cuddle.

* * *

Hours had passed and Liv once more turned on her phone. Thankfully there were fewer messages and calls but still she felt guilty, especially when she checked the time and realised she'd been out for almost ten hours!

The slight pang of hunger in her stomach had grown into an ache, and despite the sun being deceptively bright it was beginning to get cold up near the moors.

Liv stared down at her phone, scrolling through her contacts as if weighing up who was best to call for a relatively lecture free ride home. In the end the girl decided that wasn't going to be a possibility, and so with a sigh she shoved the mobile back into her pocket and turned to begin the long walk back to the village.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	4. Chapter 4

It was barely light by the time Liv came into the village, the early winter night creeping in with a chill that stung the girl's face as she walked.

Her fists clenched at her sides as she tensed against the cold air, she crept round to the back door of the pub and pulled at the handle. 

It was locked.

"Oh come on" the teen breathed, trying again in frustration before releasing it with a mumbled curse beneath her breath. It was obvious that her brother had locked it to prevent her from sneaking back in undetected - a clever move on his behalf she had to admit.

Steeling herself, Liv took a breath as she wound her way back to the front of the pub, pushing through the door before she could chicken out anymore.

* * *

Chas saw her first from her spot behind the bar, and the woman placed a hand over her chest with a murmured "Oh thank God" before calling over to her son who was hunched in the corner still frantically trying to get in touch with his sister.

At the mention of his name the man turned, all ready to snap at his Mum for interrupting his train of thought, that was until he spotted Liv stood awkwardly in the doorway glancing round at the crowds enjoying their evening pints.

"Where the hell have you been?" he exclaimed, stumbling over to her, shaky in his relief as he pulled the girl into his arms with a sigh.

"For a walk" his sister said, her voice muffled against his chest.

By this point Chas had abandoned the bar to join the siblings, and she squeezed the youngest on the shoulder.

"Shall we take this through to the back?" she suggested, nodding over to where Pearl was pretending not to eavesdrop on the conversation.

Aaron nodded, steering the girl through behind the bar with a nod to Adam and Victoria who followed suit.

* * *

"I've messaged Rob, he's on his way" Victoria said quietly, shutting the door behind the group so that the chatter from the pub became a faint murmur.

Liv perched on the arm of the sofa and bowed her head, not ready to meet anyone's gaze just yet.

"You locked the back door" she observed, scuffing her toes on the carpet.

"Robert's idea...so you couldn't come and go again" her brother explained with a shrug "Clearly it wasn't a bad plan."

Liv looked up at him "I wasn't running away" she defended "I just wanted some space."

"Yeah but for nearly eleven hours kid?" Adam pointed out "This one was going out of his mind" he nodded to Aaron who kept his eyes on his sister.

"Like he cares" the teen snorted, jumping slightly as her brother brought his fist down on the table with a bang.

"Don't you dare say that, you have no idea what's been going through my head today!"

Both siblings were now on their feet, and Liv had angry tears welling in her eyes. The tension in the room was so much so that nobody noticed Robert arrive, the smile on his face at the sight of his sister-in-law home safe and sound was soon replaced with a frown of confusion at the altercation occurring before him.

"You want to send me away I heard you!"

Aaron shook his head, baffled by the accusation "I would never do that, what are you on about?"

Liv shoved him in the chest and the man stumbled backwards, only to be caught by Adam, who pushed himself off the wall just in time.

"I heard you last night, you said you were gonna send me away because of everything that's happened."

Robert cottoned on first to the misunderstanding and took a step forward, raising his hands to placate the girl.

"You heard it wrong Liv" he explained "Nobody's sending you anywhere, we just thought maybe talking to a counsellor about everything you've been through might help?"

Liv's shoulders sagged as she realised he was telling the truth.

"I just want to forget about it, why can't you just let that happen?"

Aaron took a tentative step forward and reached out to cup her cheek.

"Because I'm worried about you sis, because I know how bad things can get if you bottle stuff up."

"I'm fine" the teen insisted.

"Nobody expects you to be love" Chas piped up from her seat at the table "Everyone in this room just wants what's best for you."

Liv looked round at the sea of concerned faces and felt her stomach knot with guilt.

"Are you gonna force me to see someone?" she questioned after a beat of silence.

Aaron shook his head slowly "Not if you really don't want to."

The teen drew in her lower lip, glancing between her brother and Robert.

"Can I think about it?"

The blonde nodded hurriedly with a smile "Of course you can kiddo."

Liv smiled slightly in response, allowing herself to fall back onto the sofa as the early hour at which she awoke caught up with her.

"We'll give you some space" Victoria spoke gently, linking her fingers with Adam's.

"Yeah" the man agreed "Glad you're home safe squirt" he grinned at Liv who nodded gratefully.

Chas held the door open for the couple as they left, turning to her son.

"I'll be in the bar if you need anything" she told him, before disappearing after the others.

* * *

Later that night Liv looked up at the sound of someone knocking on her bedroom door, and she smiled softly as her brother poked his head round.

"Checking I'm still here?" the girl teased, shutting her laptop and placing it on the floor so there'd be room on the bed for the man to sit with her.

"Maybe" he admitted with a smirk, sinking down onto the mattress and plunging the room into a brief silence.

Liv tilted her head slightly "I am sorry you know? For running off like that, for scaring you."

Her brother nodded "I know, it's okay, you're back where you belong."

The siblings looked at each other for several moments, both realising how lucky they were to have each other.

"So you'd really never send me away?" the teen asked, shifting her weight as she crossed her legs.

Aaron reached forward and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Never" he promised "You're staying right here with me, forever."

"Forever?" she wrinkled her nose "What about when I get married?"

The man shook his head "Not gonna happen."

"Oh really?"

"Yep, you're just gonna live up here in this room for the rest of your life where I can keep an eye on ya."

The pair burst out laughing, and Liv aimed a clumsy punch to her brother's arm as he teased her.

"I love you kiddo, you know that?" he told her seriously.

The girl nodded, a smile stretching at her lips "I love you too" she whispered, burying her face in the crook of his neck as he pulled her in for a hug.

* * *

Once Aaron had gone back downstairs to Robert, Liv cautiously picked her laptop back up and opened the lid, taking a deep breath as she scanned the details on the screen.

The prison visiting hours were obscure so she'd have to be clever not to get caught out by her brother, but she had to do this, she had to see him and tell him what she thought of him.

It was the only way she'd be able to move on from all that had happened.

 

 

 

 


	5. Chapter 5

Both Aaron and Robert were surprised the next morning when Liv appeared in her uniform and announced she was ready to go back to school.

"Are you sure?" he brother checked with a frown "I mean, I don't want you forcing yourself to go if you're not ready."

The girl looked between the pair and shrugged "Might as well" she told them "Besides I'm going nuts being around you two all the time and watching you make eyes at each other."

Aaron pulled a face at this comment but that didn't stop the smile from forming on his lips. "Well if it's what you want-" he checked the time on his watch "Then you better get a move on or you'll miss the bus."

Liv swung her bag onto her back and snatched a piece of toast from Robert's plate "I'll err, see you later then" she mumbled, suddenly a lot more shy.

The blonde shook his head fondly, getting up to put his now empty plate in the sink "Try not to get into any fights with Gabby" he teased, turning on the tap "I'm really not in the mood to deal with Bernice's hysterical shrieking."

The teen forced a laugh at his comment, looking over at Aaron as he too got to his feet.

"I love you" she told him seriously, fingers toying with the straps of her backpack.

Her brother raised his eyebrows in surprise at this display of affection so early in the morning, but all the same pressed a kiss to her temple as he passed her on the way to the kitchen.

"I love you too" he smiled "Be good."

With that he was entirely distracted by Robert, the pair of them trying to splash each other as they washed up. Liv watched for several moments before slowly backing out of the room, whispering a 'goodbye' as she went.

* * *

The prison loomed above the teen as she stepped off the bus and peered through the front gates. The railings felt cool against her clammy hands and a sudden rush of fear spread through her body and she turned back towards the bus stop only to watch the vehicle now halfway down the road.

To her right a guard was watching the girl carefully and Liv assumed that she no doubt seemed quite suspicious and so she approached the man slowly, swallowing hard in an attempt to muster any last piece of strength she had.

"Excuse me, when do visiting hours start?"

The guard looked down at her and then checked his watch "15 minutes...shouldn't you be in school?"

Liv shuffled uncomfortably in her uniform "It's a half day" she muttered, inwardly cringing as she realised it was barely 10 in the morning.

"Visiting family?" the man pushed, narrowing his eyes at the teen.

"Not exactly"

"Well minor's really should be accompanied by an adult kid, is there someone that we can ring?"

Liv's heartbeat quickened "They know I'm here" she lied "I'm getting picked up later."

This seemed to satisfy the guard, who checked his watch once more before pushing open the side gate beside him.

"You can wait in the courtyard, someone will show you through to the visiting hall when it's time."

Liv muttered a 'thankyou' and ducked past the man, gripping the straps of her backpack so hard that her knuckles turned white. As she passed round the corner out of side the guard reached for his radio.

"Peter? Yeah it's me, I need you to bring up CCTV of the front gate and send the footage over to Hotten Secondary, I think they're missing a pupil..."

* * *

The visiting hall was a grey expanse of space filled with a selection of plastic looking picnic benches. Down one end there stood a vending machine alongside a coffee machine, both of which was accompanied by a guard.

Liv shuffled down the rows looking for Tom's face, weaving between the relatives who were dropping down at various benches every few seconds.

In the corner a man was sat on the tabletop, his leg bouncing up and down as one of the guards tried to drag him onto a seat, it was him.

"Erm, hi?" Liv greeted, eyeing up the guard who gave Tom one last shove that sent him sliding to the floor.

"You" he frowned, getting to his feet and perching on the edge of the chair "Why the hell are you here?"

The teen stuck her hands in her jacket pockets and sat opposite him "I don't know" she admitted.

Tom looked her up and down "Come to gloat?" he asked bitterly, fists clenching atop the table and Liv shook her head.

"No, I just...I had to see you to ask-"

"-Ask what?"

"Why did you do it?"

The girl's voice was croaky as she spoke and Tom laughed "That's adorable" he cooed "W-w-why did you do it Tommy Wommy" he stuck out his lower lip in a mock pout.

"That's not an answer."

"Ooh you've grown some balls since the last time I saw you."

Liv cringed, biting down on the inside of her cheek "The last time you saw me you tried to abduct me."

The man snorted "You practically came running to me kid, you were naive enough to believe someone wanted you."

"Why did you lie?" Liv demanded, ignoring his remarks "Why did you say you were 18?"

"Well you were hardly gonna meet me if you knew my real age."

"That's sick."

The pair glared at each other across the bench for a few moments until Liv felt a hand graze her thigh. She let out a cry and shot back from the bench, almost tumbling to the floor.

"Get off me" she snapped, her cheeks flaring "You're not even sorry are you?"

"Sorry?" Tom laughed "I'm only sorry I couldn't get you away before your brother showed up...where is he anyway?"

...

"Right here."

Liv froze, her heart skipping a beat at the sound of Aaron's voice and she turned slowly to see him stood to one side, a guard accompanying him.

"Aaron-" Liv began, her mouth going dry.

"Up" he growled "Get up and get away from him."

The teen did as she was told, clambering off of the bench to trade places with her brother who had now stepped forward.

"Listen to me you sick perv, if I find out you've tried to contact her again I'm gonna come here and break every bone in your body, got that?" he seethed, ignoring the cough the guard gave at his words.

Tom shrugged "She came to me mate, reckon she's well up for it."

At this Aaron lunged forward only for two guards to grab him and drag him back "Right that's enough" one barked "You two out, now."

He clamped a hand on Liv's shoulder as the other one took Aaron by the arm and led them out of the hall.

"Take her home pal, and no more visits."

With that the doors were shut and the siblings were left alone in silence.

Liv looked past the gates to where Robert's car was parked, the blonde stood outside leaning against the bonnet as he waited.

Aaron marched through the gate, ignoring the guard as he headed for the car. Liv bowed her head and hurried after him, clutching her bag tightly in her hand as she yanked open the door and slid into the back seats.

As soon as the doors were shut Aaron twisted in his seat to face his sister.

"What the  _hell_ were you thinking?" he hissed.

"I-"

"-Actually, scratch that because you clearly weren't thinking were you?"

"Aaron-"

"-I can't believe you'd be so stupid Liv! This bloke tries to abduct you and you decide that means you wanna play happy families in a prison does it?"

"No!-"

"-I don't even know what to say to you anymore I really don't"

Robert revved the engine to get the pair to stop "That's enough" the blonde sighed "Let's just get her home."

Liv sat back in her chair and folded her arms "What so you can ship me off to some counsellor?" she asked bitterly.

"Well clearly you need one!" Aaron exclaimed "You must be out of your mind if you actively came looking for the bloke."

The girl shook her head and reached for the door handle, but Robert was too quick for her and hit the internal locking system.

"No more running kiddo" he told her "We're going home."

Liv hung her head "How did you know I was here?"

* * *

_"She's gone back to school?" Adam couldn't hide the surprise from his voice as Aaron told him what Liv had decided that morning._

_"I didn't think she'd be ready" he shrugged "But I guess she wants some sense of normality back and I can't blame her for that."_

_Adam nodded, holding out a hand to accept the mug of tea that Robert had appeared with._

_"I just hope she doesn't get anymore grief from Gabby" the blonde drawled "It's been quite nice not having her around."_

_Aaron rolled his eyes "Well I'm sure the poxy school will ring at the first sign of trouble, like they've got nothing better to do."_

_As if on cue the man's phone began to ring and he groaned, scrabbling in his pocket to retrieve it._

_"Bingo" Adam snorted as his friend held up the caller ID that read 'What's She Done Now?'_

_"I'm not sure that's an appropriate name to list the school under" Robert observed, sipping his tea "But you're going to have to answer it."_

_Aaron closed his eyes and accepted the call, bringing the phone to his ear with a weary "Hello?"_

**_"Hi Mr Dingle I'm calling to let you know that your sister didn't show up for registration this morning and as there's no absence form-"_ **

_"-Well she should have done" the man snapped "I watched her leave for the bus"_

_"_ **_Olivia hasn't shown up for school Mr Dingle, and as you know we have a policy about this...our fine-"_ **

_"-Yes I know about your fine" Aaron spat "I've paid it enough times, but I'm not paying it now, she went to school for Christ sake!"_

_Robert gently prised the phone from his husband's hands and held it to his ear "This is Liv's brother-in-law" he greeted._

**_"Mr Sugden? As I was telling your husband Olivia hasn't shown up and if neither of you know where she is then this is quite worrying..."_ **

_"Sugden-Dingle" Robert corrected politely "And she's only an hour late, surely she's just off with her mates somewhere?"_

**_"Regardless where Olivia is, she isn't here at school and therefore you and your husband are liable to pay-"_ **

_The woman on reception was cut off as Aaron grabbed the phone from Robert and promptly hung up with an "I'm going to kill her."_

_"Liv? Or that lass on the phone?" Adam smirked, holding his hands up as the man shot him a glare._

_"Where the hell is she if she's not gone to school?"_

_Robert squeezed his husband's shoulder gently "Maybe she wasn't as ready as we thought?" he suggested softly "But she's too embarrassed to say?"_

_Aaron ran a hand over his face "How can I keep her safe when she's always bloody disappearing?"_

_The blonde smiled "You need tea" he said simply, taking the man by the hand and leading him towards the cabin despite his protests._

* * *

The car pulled up outside the pub and Liv sank down further in her seat.

"You don't really have to pay a fine do you?" she asked timidly, trying to catch her brother's eye in the rearview mirror.

"Probably" he grunted, looking pointedly out of the window "That school will do anything for a couple of quid."

Robert killed the engine and sat back in his seat with a sigh "The fine doesn't matter" he dismissed.

"Are you joking?" Aaron snapped "We can't afford to keep paying for her to bunk off when she likes!"

Liv sat forward "I said sorry!" she cried "What do you want me to do?"

Her brother shrugged and climbed out of the car.

"Do whatever you want Liv, I'm past caring" he said shortly, slamming the door before storming into the pub.

A moment of silence passed in the car before Robert turned in his seat.

"He doesn't mean that kiddo" he told the teen "He's just stressed out by everything."

"By me" Liv sighed "I thought it would help if I could just see-"

She trailed off and Robert smiled sadly "Despite what he says, he really does care" he said "When the school rang back he was a mess."

Liv buried her head in her hands and groaned.

* * *

_"She's not answering" Aaron grumbled, dropping his mobile onto the stack of paperwork in front of him._

_"Look, if we still haven't heard from her by the end of school, then we can start worrying" Robert reasoned, screwing up an old contract template and tossing it into the bin._

_His husband shook his head in frustration, drumming his fingers atop the desk as he rested his chin in his hand._

_"Still no word I take it?" Adam observed, bounding up the stairs._

_Robert shook his head, shooting a concerned glance to Aaron who was staring hopefully at his phone on the table._

_"Well you know Liv, she's probably over at the pavilion with Gabby or something" Adam piped up with a shrug._

_"They can't stand each other" Robert pointed out "Or do you not remember the WWE remake that occurred in the back room?"_

_Adam snorted, opening his mouth to comment when Aaron shushed them both, the sound of his ringtone filling the cabin._

_"Hello?" he answered breathlessly_

**_"Mr Dingle it's Hotten Secondary"_ **

_The man groaned, regretting not checking the caller ID before answering._

_"I'm not paying your fine" he said firmly._

**_"This isn't about that sir, we've had a call from the prison over in Rubblesfield-"_ **

_"-Prison?" Aaron repeated "What's this got to do with Liv?"_

**_"One of the guard's reported a girl in our uniform turning up this morning for the visiting hours, said it seemed a little unusual so they sent us a CCTV image, it was Olivia Mr Dingle."_ **

_Aaron felt his stomach lurch and he clasped the phone tighter._

**_"Did you know your sister was visiting the prison today?"_ **

_Not bothering to reply Aaron simply hung up, before throwing his phone back down on the table._

_"What was all that about?" Robert questioned, watching his husband rise from his chair and grab his jacket._

_"She's gone to see him" Aaron said through a clenched jaw "She's at the bloody prison."_

_Adam raised his eyebrows "You're joking...what's she done that for?"_

_Robert sighed and stood, "I'll drive" he said, reaching for his keys._

_Barely halting to say goodbye to Adam who still appeared thoroughly confused, the pair drove off down the dirt track away from the yard, Robert's tyres screeching in the process._

* * *

"He hates me doesn't he?" Liv sighed, looking up at Robert as he held open her car door.

"Of course he doesn't, he's just worried."

"Are you angry too?" the girl asked, ignoring this comment.

Robert faltered, running a hand over his face "I'm more confused, I suppose it doesn't make sense to me why you'd put yourself in danger like that."

"I thought I knew what I was doing" Liv murmured "But then I saw him and everything came back and I...I didn't know how to get out and then Aaron was there."

By this point the teen was stood beside her brother-in-law, allowing him to slowly lead her towards the pub.

"He's your big brother Liv, he's always gonna be there."

 

 

 


	6. Chapter 6

Aaron and Liv were treading on eggshells around each other, causing a less than pleasant atmosphere back at the pub. The teen went to school, came straight home and disappeared to her room until dinner, which she would eat and then rush back upstairs again.

"You know this can't go on much longer right?" Robert sighed as he cleared the plates from the table "She's barely spoken since the whole ordeal at the prison. Aren't you worried?"

"Of course I'm worried!" Aaron snapped, scraping back his chair "But I'm so angry Rob, with her and with that slimy cretin and with myself! I should have paid more attention to her, it should never have got this bad."

The blonde abandoned the washing up and took his seat beside his partner "You can't blame yourself" he said gently "Besides neither of us noticed this building, she's not just your responsibility-" he paused to run a hand over his face "I just feel like I've let her down, maybe we both have."

Aaron shook his head, turning expectantly to the door at the sound of footsteps on the stairs. Liv poked her head round the doorway, obviously to check the room was empty before she entered.

"Alright?" Robert asked softly, straightening in his chair.

"I just came down for a drink" the teen mumbled, hurrying through to the sink and twisting the tap with fumbling fingers.

Aaron chewed thoughtfully at his bottom lip, waiting for his sister to turn back before he pulled out a chair "Sit down a minute?" he requested, his eyes somewhat pleading despite the firmness in his tone.

"I'm actually in the middle of some homework-"

"Liv" Robert gave her hand a squeeze as it swung nervously by her side "C'mon just give us a couple of minutes, we need to sort things out."

She blew out a breath and dropped unceremoniously into the closest chair, pushing her glass of water out in front of her where she proceeded to drum her fingers on the table either side of it.

"It's been a rough few days" her brother began cautiously "Or weeks to be more accurate I guess. I want you to know how angry I was that you went to the prison alone, if you wanted-  _needed_ to see him I would have gone with you, of course I would."

"I didn't know I wanted to go until I was there" the teen said hastily "It just sort of snowballed, I know it was stupid and I was way out of my depth."

Robert nodded along as she spoke, surprised yet pleased that she was finally opening up to them both.

"I'm sorry, for what I said to you in the car and for how I've acted since" Aaron went on, offering a smile to the girl "I just didn't know how to process it all, how to help you."

Liv bit down on her lip in a similar fashion to her brother "I just thought that I'd ruined everything you know?" she croaked, her voice strained with emotion "I figured you were all set to pack me off back to mum's" she sniffed and rubbed at her eyes by way of pushing down the tears.

Robert ran a hand through her hair as he listened to her and the girl allowed herself to slant closer to him until she was leaning into his chest while they spoke.

"I promised you I would never send you back there" Aaron told his sister, leaning forward so his palms rested on her knees "And I meant it. You're my little sister, you're everything to me-" he shot Robert a look that told him he was included in the 'everything' and the blonde smiled fondly.

"I really do just want us to forget the whole thing, and forget about him, can't we just let him rot in prison where he belongs?" Liv looked up at her brother through welling eyes and he nodded, bringing up a hand to cup her cheek just as the door to the bar opened and two police officers shuffled into the room.

Robert got to his feet with a frown "What's going on?" he questioned, forever fearful of losing someone since Aaron had been arrested.

"We're here to see Miss Flaherty" the man spoke gently "Nobody's in trouble, not to worry."

Aaron eyed them up cautiously but gestured for them to sit, his offer was declined as the detective took a step forward towards Liv. "Did I do something wrong?" she asked in confusion, looking worriedly between her brothers as the officer finally came to a halt beside her, settling on the arm of the sofa next to her chair.

"No, Liv I'm here with news about your case-"

Robert's jaw tightened "I thought that was over" he growled "The bloke was caught, you've got him locked up...these two saw him a couple of days ago."

The officer nodded "I know Mr Sugden but since then..." he trailed off and took a breath "I'm only here to inform you that Mr Blyden has died, he was found hanging in his cell this morning."

Liv's eyes widened, the hairs on the back of her neck prickling as she tried to process the information. She was aware of Aaron pulling her into him, but the noise of the room had become muffled, almost a blur. Robert turned to her, his hand instinctively rubbing circles on her back in comfort.

"We can offer you a liaison officer if needed" the police pressed on quietly yet matter of fact "I'm sorry to dredge all of this up again for you Miss Flaherty, if you need the support just have your brothers give us a ring, we'll leave you to it."

As quickly as they'd arrived they'd disappeared, leaving the family of three sat stunned in the back room.

"It's my fault" Liv croaked, rubbing her clammy palms on her jeans "I shouldn't have gone to see him, if I'd left it alone he would just do his time and then we could all have moved on."

Robert held her hand tightly "Hey, none of this is on you kiddo, alright? He was a pretty messed up bloke and that much was obvious but the only person playing a part in it all is him."

"He's right" Aaron agreed, his voice rasping from the shock "And I'm not saying anyone deserves what happened to him, what he did to himself but there's no way in hell that I'm about to feel sorry for him after everything he's done to you."

Liv ran a shaking hand over her face "So much for moving on from it all" she whispered, slipping her other hand into his and squeezing "Feels like deja vu from Gordon-" she froze and looked up at her brother who now had tears of his own slipping down his cheeks "I'm sorry" she murmured "That doesn't matter now."

"Talk about a mess 'ey" he joked with a sniff, looking to Robert "Dunno why you stick around" 

The blonde smiled, throwing an arm round Liv and leaning forward to place a lingering kiss on Aaron's lips. "Because" he said, pulling them both close "I told you I wanted messed up forever with you."


End file.
